Published Paper Details:

This article examines how Nelson Goodman's theory of worldmaking provides a productive framework for understanding the construction of fantastic worlds in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Drawing on Goodman's notion that worlds are created through symbolic operations the study explores how Tolkien's narrative practices systematically transform linguistic invention, mythic tradition and narrative structure into a coherent and meaningful fictional world. By analysing the symbolic systems, narrative patterns and mythopoetic strategies embedded in Tolkien's texts, the article demonstrates how Middle-earth exemplifies the philosophical principles of worldmaking. It reveals fiction's capacity to construct alternative realities that illuminate and enrich our own reality. Through this synthesis of philosophy and literature, the study highlights the creative and epistemic significance of Tolkien's legendarium within the broader discourse of world construction.